Group B Strep Support

Last updated
AbbreviationGBSS
Formation1996
Legal statusRegistered charity no. 1112065
PurposeTo prevent life-threatening group B Strep infection in newborn babies
HeadquartersHaywards Heath
Region served
United Kingdom
Website http://www.gbss.org.uk

Group B Strep Support is a national charity based in the United Kingdom.

Contents

History

Group B Strep Support was formed in 1996, after the founders' son had a group B Strep infection. [1] Since then it has established a medical panel [2] and set up a board of trustees. [1] The charity has been heavily involved in public consultations on group B Strep prevention, and in 2012 commented on the National Screening Committee's review of GBS testing. [3] In 2012, the chief executive Jane Plumb received an MBE for services for child health. [4]

Aims

GBSS states that it has three main aims: [5]

Key achievements

Notable supporters

Patron

Related Research Articles

<i>Streptococcus</i> genus of bacteria

Streptococcus is a genus of gram-positive coccus or spherical bacteria that belongs to the family Streptococcaceae, within the order Lactobacillales, in the phylum Firmicutes. Cell division in streptococci occurs along a single axis, so as they grow, they tend to form pairs or chains that may appear bent or twisted.

Group A streptococcal infection human disease

A group A streptococcal infection is an infection with group A streptococcus (GAS). Streptococcus pyogenes comprises the vast majority of the Lancefield group A streptococci, and is often used as a synonym for GAS. However, S. dysgalactiae can also be group A. S. pyogenes is a beta-hemolytic species of Gram positive bacteria that is responsible for a wide range of both invasive and noninvasive infections.

Scarlet fever infectious disease

Scarlet fever is a disease which can occur as a result of a group A streptococcus infection, also known as Streptococcus pyogenes. The signs and symptoms include a sore throat, fever, headaches, swollen lymph nodes, and a characteristic rash. The rash is red and feels like sandpaper and the tongue may be red and bumpy. It most commonly affects children between five and 15 years of age.

Streptococcal pharyngitis infection of the back of the throat including the tonsils caused by group A streptococcus (GAS)

Streptococcal pharyngitis, also known as strep throat, is an infection of the back of the throat including the tonsils caused by group A streptococcus (GAS). Common symptoms include fever, sore throat, red tonsils, and enlarged lymph nodes in the neck. A headache, and nausea or vomiting may also occur. Some develop a sandpaper-like rash which is known as scarlet fever. Symptoms typically begin one to three days after exposure and last seven to ten days.

Pharyngitis type of upper respiratory tract infection

Pharyngitis is inflammation of the back of the throat, known as the pharynx. It typically results in a sore throat and fever. Other symptoms may include a runny nose, cough, headache, and a hoarse voice. Symptoms usually last 3–5 days. Complications can include sinusitis and acute otitis media. Pharyngitis is a type of upper respiratory tract infection.

Rheumatic fever Post-streptococcal inflammatory disease

Rheumatic fever (RF) is an inflammatory disease that can involve the heart, joints, skin, and brain. The disease typically develops two to four weeks after a streptococcal throat infection. Signs and symptoms include fever, multiple painful joints, involuntary muscle movements, and occasionally a characteristic non-itchy rash known as erythema marginatum. The heart is involved in about half of the cases. Damage to the heart valves, known as rheumatic heart disease (RHD), usually occurs after repeated attacks but can sometimes occur after one. The damaged valves may result in heart failure, atrial fibrillation and infection of the valves.

Nicholas Soames British Conservative politician, grandson of Sir Winston Churchill

Sir Arthur Nicholas Winston Soames, sometimes known as Nick Soames, is a British politician who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Mid Sussex from 1997 to 2019. He was first elected to Parliament in 1983 for Crawley and sat as a Conservative until 3 September 2019 when he had the whip removed after voting against the government. He subsequently began to sit as an independent MP until he had the Conservative whip restored on 29 October.

Newborn screening testing of infants for medical conditions

Newborn screening (NBS) is a public health program of screening in infants shortly after birth for conditions that are treatable, but not clinically evident in the newborn period. The goal is to identify infants at risk for these conditions early enough to confirm the diagnosis and provide intervention that will alter the clinical course of the disease and prevent or ameliorate the clinical manifestations. NBS started with the discovery that the amino acid disorder phenylketonuria (PKU) could be treated by dietary adjustment, and that early intervention was required for the best outcome. Infants with PKU appear normal at birth, but are unable to metabolize the essential amino acid phenylalanine, resulting in irreversible intellectual disability. In the 1960s, Robert Guthrie developed a simple method using a bacterial inhibition assay that could detect high levels of phenylalanine in blood shortly after a baby was born. Guthrie also pioneered the collection of blood on filter paper which could be easily transported, recognizing the need for a simple system if the screening was going to be done on a large scale. Newborn screening around the world is still done using similar filter paper. NBS was first introduced as a public health program in the United States in the early 1960s, and has expanded to countries around the world.

March of Dimes United States nonprofit organization

March of Dimes is a United States nonprofit organization that works to improve the health of mothers and babies. According to its website, "We believe that every baby deserves the best possible start. Unfortunately, not all babies get one. We are changing that."

Tonsillitis Inflammation of the tonsils

Tonsillitis is inflammation of the tonsils, typically of rapid onset. It is a type of pharyngitis. Symptoms may include sore throat, fever, enlargement of the tonsils, trouble swallowing, and large lymph nodes around the neck. Complications include peritonsillar abscess.

<i>Streptococcus agalactiae</i> species of bacterium

Streptococcus agalactiae is a gram-positive coccus with a tendency to form chains. It is a beta-hemolytic, catalase-negative, and facultative anaerobe.

Group B streptococcal infection

Group B streptococcal infection, also known as Group B streptococcal disease or just Group B strep, is the infection caused by the bacterium Streptococcus agalactiae. Group B streptococcal infection can cause serious illness and sometimes death, especially in newborns, the elderly, and people with compromised immune systems.

Anti-streptolysin O is the antibody made against streptolysin O, an immunogenic, oxygen-labile streptococcal hemolytic exotoxin produced by most strains of group A and many strains of groups C and G Streptococcus bacteria. The "O" in the name stands for oxygen-labile; the other related toxin being oxygen-stable streptolysin-S. The main function of streptolysin O is to cause hemolysis — in particular, beta-hemolysis.

Centor criteria set of criteria which may be used to identify the likelihood of a bacterial infection in adult patients complaining of a sore throat

The Centor criteria are a set of criteria which may be used to identify the likelihood of a bacterial infection in adult patients complaining of a sore throat. They were developed as a method to quickly diagnose the presence of Group A streptococcal infection or diagnosis of streptococcal pharyngitis in "adult patients who presented to an urban emergency room complaining of a sore throat."

Neonatal sepsis is a type of neonatal infection and specifically refers to the presence in a newborn baby of a bacterial blood stream infection (BSI) in the setting of fever. Older textbooks may refer to neonatal sepsis as "sepsis neonatorum". Criteria with regards to hemodynamic compromise or respiratory failure are not useful clinically because these symptoms often do not arise in neonates until death is imminent and unpreventable. Neonatal sepsis is divided into two categories: early-onset sepsis (EOS) and late-onset sepsis (LOS). EOS refers to sepsis presenting in the first 7 days of life, with LOS referring to presentation of sepsis after 7 days. Neonatal sepsis is the single most common cause of neonatal death in hospital as well as community in developing country.

Newborn Screening Saves Lives Act of 2007 US law

President George W. Bush signed the Newborn Screening Saves Lives Act of 2007 (Pub.L.110-204) (NBSSLA) into law on April 24, 2008, a day before DNA Day. The Act amended the Public Health Service Act to establish grant programs concerning newborn screening education and outreach, as parents are often unaware that newborn screening takes place and the number and types of screening varies across states. It also established grant programs to coordinate follow-up care, after newborn screening is conducted. The legislation also reauthorized programs under part A of title XI of the Public Health Service Act. In his introductory remarks, Senator Chris Dodd stated that the legislation "protect[s] the most vulnerable members of our society: newborn infants." Newborn Screening is a proven life saving and effective public health tool used to identify thousands of babies in the U.S. born with genetic, metabolic, and congenital conditions. At the time of the legislation's passage, only 15 States along with the District of Columbia required newborns to be screened for 29 core conditions as recommended by the Health Resources and Services Administration/American College of Medical Genetics' 2004 Report.

Granada medium

Granada medium is a selective and differential culture medium designed to selectively isolate Streptococcus agalactiae and differentiate it from other microorganisms. Granada Medium was developed by Dr. Manuel Rosa-Fraile et al. at the Service of Microbiology in the Hospital Virgen de las Nieves in Granada (Spain).

Neonatal infection human disease

Neonatal infections are infections of the neonate (newborn) acquired during prenatal development or in the first four weeks of life. Neonatal infections may be contracted by mother to child transmission, in the birth canal during childbirth, or contracted after birth. Some neonatal infections are apparent soon after delivery, while others may develop in the postnatal period. Some neonatal infections such as HIV, hepatitis B, and malaria do not become apparent until much later.

Anti-Deoxyribonuclease B titres are a quantitative measure of the presence of serologic antibodies obtained from patients suspected of having a recent group A (Beta-hemolytic) streptococcus bacteria infection, from Streptococcus pyogenes.

Joy Lawn UK Professor of maternal care and Director of Centre

Joy Elizabeth Lawn is a Professor of Maternal, Reproductive and Child Health. She is Director of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Maternal, Adolescent, Reproductive & Child Health (MARCH) Centre. She developed the epidemiological evidence for the worldwide policy and programming that looks to reduce neonatal deaths and stillbirths and works on large-scale implementation research.

References

  1. 1 2 "Group B Strep Support - Who We Are: People involved: Executive Committee". GBSS. 2013-11-07. Retrieved 2013-12-09.
  2. ↑ "Group B Strep Support - Who We Are: People involved: GBSS Medical Advisory Panel". GBSS. 2013-11-07. Retrieved 2013-12-09.
  3. ↑ "Group B Strep Support - News and Events: Screening Committee". GBSS. Archived from the original on 2013-12-14. Retrieved 2013-12-09.
  4. ↑ "New Year Honour for charity founder". Mid Sussex Times. 2012-01-03. Retrieved 2013-12-09.
  5. ↑ "Group B Strep Support - Who We Are: What GBSS wants". GBSS. Retrieved 2013-12-09.
  6. ↑ "UK | England | Southern Counties | Charity aims to curb baby illness". BBC News. 2005-09-27. Retrieved 2013-12-09.
  7. ↑ "Health | Pregnancy infection screening call". BBC News. 2003-08-02. Retrieved 2013-12-09.
  8. ↑ "Calls to test mums after baby catches serious illness (From Your Local Guardian)". Yourlocalguardian.co.uk. 2008-04-23. Retrieved 2013-12-09.
  9. ↑ "Opportunities to prevent meningitis in young babies 'being missed'". Telegraph. Retrieved 2013-12-09.
  10. ↑ "News - Screen pregnant women for group Strep B". OnMedica. 2008-02-27. Retrieved 2013-12-09.
  11. ↑ "Group B Streptococcus". Screening.nhs.uk. Retrieved 2013-12-09.
  12. ↑ "Bring in Group B Strep Testing for all Women... - HAYWARDS HEATH, England, December 1, 2010 /PR Newswire UK/". united kingdom: Prnewswire.co.uk. Retrieved 2013-12-09.
  13. ↑ "Arnold mum Lisa eaton is campaigning to raise awareness of Group B Streptococcus infection". Nottingham Post. 2010-03-15. Retrieved 2013-12-09.
  14. ↑ "Politicians support Group B Strep awareness campaign". Derry Journal. 2011-09-01. Retrieved 2013-12-09.
  15. ↑ "Two caring charities win prestigious award major award". Mid Sussex Times. 2013-10-31. Retrieved 2013-12-09.
  16. ↑ "MP calls for NHS testing to stop babies dying - West Sussex Gazette". Westsussextoday.co.uk. 2013-06-25. Retrieved 2013-12-09.
  17. ↑ "Charity picks Ralf for UK campaign | News". Cambrian-news.co.uk. 2013-09-19. Archived from the original on 2013-12-13. Retrieved 2013-12-09.
  18. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Group B Strep Support - Who We Are: High-Profile Support". GBSS. Retrieved 2013-12-09.
  19. ↑ "James Roby Testimonial 2013 - 2014". Jamesrobytestimonial.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2013-12-12. Retrieved 2013-12-09.
  20. ↑ "Why Saints' James Roby is raising funds for a cause close to his own heart (From St Helens Star)". Sthelensstar.co.uk. 2013-08-22. Retrieved 2013-12-09.
  21. ↑ "Routine tests in pregnancy needed, says MP Nadine Dorries - Health - News - London Evening Standard". Standard.co.uk. 2013-11-07. Retrieved 2013-12-09.
  22. 1 2 3 "Patrons - Group B Strep Support". Group B Strep Support. Retrieved 2018-03-01.
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